Over 100 groups to protest at opening day of London Arms Fair

Source: The Big One

A coalition of more than 100 grassroots organisations and activist groups will converge on the ExCeL Centre on September 9th for The Big One, a mass protest on the first day of the returning Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI). The coalition includes a large number of pro-Palestine organisations, as well as climate, anti-imperialist and social justice groups, with the protest aiming to "Shut DSEI Down".

DSEI is the UK's largest arms fair hosted every two years at the Newham centre. It is a highly attended international event for the trade of military technology and weapons. This year, over 45000 attendees, representing 90+ countries, and over 1600 exhibitors are expected to attend. Organisers anticipate it being the largest in years, with a recent report showing a 59% increase in attendance at the earlier DSEI Japan 2025 from 2023 - reflecting the current heavy escalation in the militarisation of international relations.

The coalition denounces the role of DSEI in the international arms trade and war, as well as the presence of an Israeli country pavilion, together with numerous Israeli, British and international defence companies known for their continuous complicity in Israel's genocidal assault on Gaza over the past two years. Indeed, the presence of infamous firms such as Elbit Systems, Israel's largest weapons manufacturer and supplier of the Hermes killer drones deployed on civilian Palestinian populations, BAE Systems, Britain's key partner in the manufacture of components for the F-35 fighter jets Israel is using to drop 2000lb bombs on children in Gaza, and the American war technologist L3 Harris, has been confirmed.

The coalition calls on the ExCeL Centre to stop hosting DSEI permanently, and for the UK government to impose a total arms and energy embargo on Israel and therefore end the trade of military technology as well as fuel supplies with the country. The group also calls on the Labour Party to abandon its planned £2 billion contract with Elbit Systems aimed at training British soldiers, as revealed last week.

A spokesperson for the coalition stated: "This year, Israeli weapons companies-complicit in the ongoing genocide in Gaza-will exhibit genocide-tested weapons to British and international buyers. Meanwhile, the world faces multiple genocides, from Gaza to Sudan and the DRC, alongside escalating ecological collapse.

"The UK government continues to fund war over welfare, investing billions in militarisation amid a devastating cost-of-living crisis and ecological collapse. Hunger-driven A&E admissions are rising, yet public funds flow to arms companies like Elbit, which profits from Israel's genocide in Palestine."

For more information, updates, and detailed schedules of the two weeks of action, visit:

The Big One - https://thebigone.uk/

Stop the Arms Fair www.stopthearmsfair.org.uk

CAAT's DSEI 2025 Campaign: https://caat.org.uk/events/stopdsei2025/

Petition: Kick Israel Out of DSEI: https://caat.org.uk/sign-the-petition-kick-israel-out-of-dsei/